Moisture-transferer for air-conditioning



Jan. 7, 1958 N. A. PENNINGTON 2,818,934

MOISTURE-TRANSFERER FOR AIR-CONDITONING V Filed Feb. s, 1955 M Y n F64-,M FK-:LEU ATTORNLY.

MOISTURE-TRANSFERER FOR AIRCONDITIONING Neal A. Pennington, Tucson,Ariz., assignor of one-fifth to Robert H. Henley, Tiptonville, Tenn.,and one-fourth to Roger Sherman Haar, South Milwaukee, Wis.

Application February 3, 1955, Serial No. 435,932

16 Claims. (Cl. 183-2) This invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in a moisture-transferer for air-conditioning, and moreparticularly to a rotating wheel-like moisture-transfer element for` usein a humidity-changer such as shown, described, and claimed in thepatent of the present inventor, No. 2,700,537, reference to which may bemade for any details not described and shown herein, especially as todetails of the environment in which the present invention is intended tobe used.

Still more particularly this present invention relates to a wheel-likemoisture-transfer element in which the carrier for the hygroscopicimpregnant (which carrier constitutes the packing for the wheel-likecasing) is of a special sort to be described later herein.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide acasingless heavy, less expensive, and less axially heatlconductive than thecasing shown and described in the copending patent applicationidentified earlier herein.

A further object is to coverutilizing inherent character'- istics of thetype of packing employed, rather than utilizing the imperforatedness ofthe spokes and rim, to prevent the, leakage of air therethrough. i

In addition to these four objects, the present invention involves anumber of new and useful details, which become readily evident asthedescription progresses.

The` present invention consists in the novel parts and in thecombination and arrangement thereof, which are defined in the appendedclaims, and of which several ernbodiments are exemplied in theaccompanying drawings, which are hereinafter particularly described andex plained. i

. Throughout the description the same reference-number is applied to thesame member or to similar members.

Figure llfis `an elevation, showing one face of the wheellike.` moisturetransfer element of the present invention. Packing is shown (partlydiagrammatically) in two of the sectors of the casing. And in one, andparts of two other, of the sectors, is shown one means of securing thepackingtherein. 1 i

`Figure` 2 is a side elevation, showing the rim of one variant of thiselement, taken along the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is `a'partial side elevation, showing the rim of the secondvariant of this element, taken along the lines of Figur@ l. i

Figure 4 is a partial side elevation, showing the rim of the third orfourth variant of this element, taken along the `lines 2-2 of Figure l.i

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the spokes of the tirstjvariant,i. e., that of Figure 2, taken along the lines 5 5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of one of the spokes of the second variant,i. e., that of Figure 3, taken along the linesl-ofFigure l, yand showinganother of the spokes in the background. i

Figure 7` is a side elevation of one oi the spokes of the third Variant,i. e., that of Figure 5-5 of Figure 1.

4, taken along the lines staart Patented Jan. 7, 1958 V'ice and 6, inwhich variant the spokes are staggered, and

each extends to only one face of the casing. This extension to the facesof the casing is very advisable, in order to prevent the leakage of air,at thefaces of the casing, from one to the other of the two air-passagesacross which the casing is designed to rotate.

Formerly it was supposed that it was necessary for the spokes to beimpertorate, in order to prevent the leakage of a-ir from one sector tothe next. This imperforatedness is still essential with most types ofpacking; but, in the present invention, the selected type of packingserves to supply the necessary imperforatedness.

Not only are perforated spokes non-detrimental if a proper type ofpacking be employed; but such spokesl constitute an improvement byreducing the weight and cost of the casing, and the axial conduction ofheat there` by. Axial conduction of heat by a rotary heat ormoisture-transferer is detrimental to high efciency.

Various sorts of perforation are shown in Figures 2 to S, which will bediscussed later herein. p p

Due to the construction of the casing, it is highly advisable that thepacking be built-up in sectoral shape,

that is to say in wedge-shaped pieces, bounded by four ilat faces andone curved face. Two of theflat faces are parallel, and occur adjacentthe two faces of the casing. The other two ilat faces converge to nearlyan edge at the hub of the casings; these two faces will herein be calledradial inasmuch as they lie radially with respect to the cylindricalcasing. The curved face tits against the inside p rugated paper. `Withsuch paper it is highly advisable that each sector of packing be soarranged that at least one radial face of the sector consists ofimperforate uncorrugated material, as shown in Figure l. To illustratethis arrangement clearly Vin that gure, the parallel lines representsuch layers of uncorrugated material, and only a few of the corrugatedlayers have been drawn-in.

The softness of absorbent paper of any sort, especially when wet, is thereason why the packing itself cannot be depended upon to prevent leakageof air at the faces of the casing, radially outwardly and fromair-passage-to air-passage, and why accordingly the rim and at leastenough of the spokes should extend to each-face of the casing, toprevent such respective leakage.

The packing can be impregnated with some appropriate hygroscopic liquid,such as glycerine, one of the ethylene glycols; or a solution of somehygroscopic salt, such as `lithium chloride, lithium bromide, calciumchloride, calcium bromide, or some combination of these. For useprimarily as a heat-transferer, the packing could pref` erably beimpregnated with some appropriate nonhygro scopic liquid, such asmineral-oil, or even not impregnated `at all. i

It should be noted that all rotary moisture-transferers transfer somesensible heat; and that all rotary heattransferers transfer somemoisture under certain atmospheric conditions. v

The packing can be held in place by some screenlike means at each faceof the casing, such for example as spider-web of wires 15, threadedthrough holes 16 in spokes 12 very near the edges of these spokes. Thepresence of such holes is not to be considered as being sufficient toprevent this portion of the spokes from being imperforate. Thespider-webbing may be supplemented by sectoral pieces of screening 17.This latter is quite advisable, due to the softness of the packing,mentioned earlier herein.

An alternative, and very practical, retaining-means, not available toother types of packing, is to cement the packing to the casing, withsome appropriate adhesive which is proof against Water and theimpregnant used, at the temperatures t=o be encountered, such forexample as the adhesive known by the trade-name of Tuff-Bond.

The four variants of the present invention will now be discussed.

In the iirst variant, namely that of Figures 2 and 5, the whole middleportion of each spoke 12 is omitted, leaving only the portions at eachface of the casing.

In the second variant, namely that of Figures 3 and 6, all of each spoke12 is omitted, except the portion along rst l011e face and then theother of the casing. In other words, the spokes are staggered.

In the third variant, namely that of Figures 4 and 7. the spoke extendsfrom face to face of the casing, but is perforated by many holes.

The fourth variant, namely that of Figures 4 and 8, resembles the lirstvariant, except that there is also retained the portion along the rimand the portion along the hub.

There will now be summarized how the casing of the present inventiondiffers from the casing of Patent No. 2,700,537, mentioned earlierherein. In the casing of that pri-or patent, the spokes were what mightwell be called, for want of a better term, complete, that is to say:extending imperforate from one face to the other of the casing and fromhub to rim. By contrast, the spokes of the present invention might wellbe called, for want of a oetter term, incomplete, meaning that they lacksome portion of the complete spokes as above defined. Thus thecharacterizing of spokes herein as incomplete will be generic toperforated spokes (for example, such as spokes `of the sort shown inFigures 4 and 7) and spokes with portions completely missing (forexample, such as spokes of the sorts shown in Figures 2 and 5, inFigures 3 and 6, in Figures 4 and 7, and in Figures 4 and 8).

The best mode contemplated by the inventor for carrying out hisinvention is the casing of Figures l, 2, and 5, with the rimimperforate, each sector being packed with corrugated asbestos paper,which packing is -held in place by both spider-webbing and sectoralpieces of metal screening, and is impregnated with calcium chloride.

Now that several forms of the invention have been described andillustrated, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific forms or arrange- `ments of parts herein described andshown.

What is claimed is:

l. A rotatable cylindrical transferer for use in an airconditioningunit, to transfer, between two air-streams passing through said unit, athermodynamic characteristic of air, said transferer comprising: awheel-like casing, having spokes, a hub, and a rim, said hub and saidrim being of substantially the same width in an axial direction, atleast some of said spokes being incomplete; a packing ofliquid-absorbing corrugated paper, the corrugations of which run axiallyof the casing, said packing being capable of being impregnated with anon-volatile liquid, and completely filling the casing, and being packedtherein with such compactness as to remain freely air-permeable in anaxial direction and yet be so self-supporting as to be substantiallyimmovable with respect to the casing during the rotation of the casingeven in a vertical plane; and means to retain the packing in the casing.

2. A rotable cylindrical moisture-transferer for use in anair-conditioning unit, to transfer moisture between two air-streamspassing through said unit, said moisturetransferer comprising: awheel-like casing, having spokes, a hub, and a rim, said hub and saidrim being of substantially the same width in an axial direction, atleast some of said spokes being incomplete; a packing of liquidabsorbingcorrugated paper, the corrugations of which run axially of the casing,said packing being impregnated with an hygroscopic impregnant, andcompletely filling the casing, and being packed therein with suchcompactness as to remain freely air-permeable in an axial direction andyet be so self-supporting as to be substantially immovable with respectto the casing during the rotation of the casing even in a verticalplane; and means to retain the packing in the casing.

3. A moisture-transferer according to claim 2, characterized by the factthat, at each face of the casing, at least some of the spokes have animperforate portion extending from the hub to the rim and extendinginwardly from the face of the casing for a material distance.

4. A moisture-transferer according to claim 3, further characterized bythe fact that at least some of the spokes consist entirely of one suchimperforate portion.

5. A moisture-transferer according to claim 2, characterized by the factthat at least some of the spokes have, at both faces of the casing, animperforate portion extending from the hub to the rim, and extendinginwardly for a material distance.

6. A moisture-transferer according to claim 5, further characterized bythe fact that at least some of the spokes consist entirely of said twoimperforate portions.

7. A moisture-transferer, according to claim 2, characterized by thefact that at least some of the spokes have, at both faces of the casing,an imperforate portion extending from the hub to the rim, and extendinginwardly for a material distance, and that the remaining portions of atleast some of these spokes contain perforations.

8. A moisture-transferer according to claim 2, characterized by the factthat the packing is arranged in sectors, at least one radial face ofeach sector consisting of imperforate uncorrugated material.

9. A moisture-transferer according to claim 8, further characterized bythe fact that, against each incomplete spoke there abuts at least onesuch face.

10. A moisture-exchanger .according to claim 2, characterized by thefact that the packing is arranged in sectors, at least one radial faceof each sector consisting ofI uncorrugated material, the sectors beingall so oriented that, in proceeding angularly around the casing in onedirection, such face of each sector is the face always firstencountered.

11. A moisture-exchanger according to claim 2, characterized by the factthat the packing is corrugated asbestos paper.

12. A rotatable cylindrical moisture-transferer for use in anair-conditioning unit, to transfer moisture between two air-streamspassing through said unit, said moisturetransferer comprising: awheel-like casing, having spokes, a hub, and a rim, the hub `and the rimextending to both faces of the casing, and at least some of the spokesextending to each face of the casing; a packing of liquidabsorbingcorrugated paper, the corrugations of which run axially of the casing,said packing being impregnated with an hygroscopic impregnant, andcompletely filling the casing, and being packed therein with suchcompactness as to remain freely air-permeable in an axial direction andyet be so self-supporting as to be substantially immovable with respectto the casing during the rotation of the casing even in a verticalplane; and adhesive means for cementing the packing to the casing, saidmeans being proof, at

the temperatures intended to be encountered, against water and theimpregnant.

13. A rotatable cylindrical transferer for use in an airconditioningunit, to transfer, between two airstreams passing through said unit, athermodynamic characteristic of air, said transferer comprising: awheel-like casing having a hub, a rim, and spokes extending radiallybetween the hub and rim and forming partition members to divide thespace between the hub and rim into a plurality of sectoral compartments,the hub and the rim being of substantially the same Width axially, andthe spokes being apertured centrally but each presenting an imperforatearea adjacent to at least one face of the casing; and a packing of aplurality of layers of liquid-absorbing paper fitted in the sectoralcompartments, some of the layers of such paper being corrugated andother layers thereof alternating with the corrugated layers and beingflat and uncorrugated, with at least one Hat uncorrugated layer beingdisposed against at least one face of each spoke, the corrugations inthe corrugated layers being arranged to run axially of the casing.

14. A rotatable cylindrical transferer for use in an air-conditioningunit, comprising: a wheel-like casing having a rim and a hub, radialpartitions extending between the hub and rim thereby dividing the areabetween 25 the hub and rim into a plurality of sectoral compartments,each of the compartments containing a packing composed of alternatinglayers of corrugated and uncorrugated paper, with the corrugations inthe corrugated layers extending axially of the hub, and at least oneuncorrugated layer disposed against one face of each partition.

15. A rotatable cylindrical tranferer according to claim 14,characterized by the fact that the partitions are perforated in areaslocated inwardly of the faces of the casing, and the uncorrugated layersdisposed against the partitions extend over and cover the perforationsin the partitions.

16. A moisture-transferer according to claim 2, further characterized bythe fact that the rim is imperforate.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 19,635Heaton Mar. 16, 1858 20 2,639,000 Edwards May 19, 1953 2,680,492 KoppJune 8, 1954 2,700,537 Pennington Ian. 25, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 656,978Great Britain Sept. 5, 1951

